


Language Barrier

by CaptMickey



Category: King's Quest (Video Games)
Genre: grachaka implication are here!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptMickey/pseuds/CaptMickey
Summary: It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak, it was just... difficult to understand them.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Language Barrier

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak, it was just... difficult to understand them.

Of course, that wasn’t to say that Achaka didn’t completely not understand their language, but sometimes when they spoke too quickly, it made it a challenge to separate the word, translate it internally, and try to find the correct charade-esqe answer he could give. And sometimes even that proved to be challenge. All he could answer, and correctly at that, was his own name. 

But saying his own name could only get him so far.

Resigned, Achaka stood back as one of the Royal Guards sighed in defeat when all the purple knight could answer was one question vocally with the remainder of the questionnaire just staring in silence and walked over to the shiner looking knight who spoke too quickly that it made Achaka’s head spin. He had never felt more comfortable in his life to have not only all the knights keep their respective distance, but for his helmet that obscure his face because he was nearly certain that he would be getting concerned glances over his way.

Though that didn’t stop the shorter knight to walk over his way. Achaka wasn’t sure if he was even allowed to be in the tournament solely due to his height, but who was he to judge when he could barely speak?

“< _You do not speak English, do you? >_” The shorter knight asked, startling Achaka to hear his native language spoken to him here.

“ _< Not a lot, no.>_” Achaka answered, feeling himself relax just slightly though he noted that he spoke in simplistic words, probably still learning if he were to guess and decided to speak simpler for him. “ _< It makes things frustrating.>_”

“ _< I can see that. All these knights are too busy to try and speak to you.>_” 

“ _< Oh, this is not to say that they did not. They have tried.>_” Achaka crossed his arms. “ _< But some speak too fast. It is... hard for me to keep up.>_”

The short knight let out a laugh and stuck his hand out. “ _< They call me Manny.>_”

The purple knight took a hold and shook his hand. “Achaka.”

\----

The parade was, in his opinion, tacky at best. Who were they waving to? Maybe near the beginning when they were closer to the village, yes, it made sense to wave, but out here in the forest where your only companion were the birds and wolves? He didn’t think they’d care all that much for a bunch of knights parading down the dirt road.

He glanced over to the other side of the river where he spotted a lanky looking fellow with a feathered cap and red cape, looking admittedly dirty and badly scrapped like he hasn’t seen civilization in stars knows how long, waving and shouting something towards them. It was... difficult to make out what he had to say and he couldn’t exactly stop the parade to hear. Well, he could, but that would probably be rude in the eyes of the Royal Guards and more to that, he wouldn’t have been able to say ‘hey, stop the parade’ because chances were they wouldn’t have understood him and Manny was all the way in the back to be his translator. 

Plus, the purple knight wasn’t sure if it was encouragement, a message, maybe even an insult, that the young man was shouting from across the river bank, but whatever it was, all Achaka could do was stare at the poor lad before eventually he was out of sight. 

\---

He was surprised to see the bridge was out. It was definitely an abnormality to see a sight like that, yet here he was, standing on one side of the river with the theater at the other. Taking a glance over to his left, he saw the other knights were all also staring at the sight, some looking like if they stared hard enough, an answer would appear. He would have suggested to hear their opinions, but so far between his own reluctance to speak and their own desire to be left alone, Achaka decided it would be best to not push them into something uncomfortable.

This... provided to be a challenge.

Something the Royal Guards decide to entrust on the four of them as part of a ‘mini challenge’... whatever that meant.

The silence and slight mumbling from the knights did not last very long as shortly he heard the sounds of stomping hooves and a wooden wagon creek something fierce that he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder to see what it was. 

The cart itself stood in a way that reminded Achaka of a small shack with a short man (was everyone short in Daventry?) wearing a turban sitting at the top pulling in tightly the reigns shouting something at the two unicorns (wait... were they unicorns?) and skidded to a stop. He watched how nimbly the man hopped around the traveling shack and opened a window, looking inside something before quickly climbing around and opening the back of the shack, swinging a little and watched as the passenger dizzily stumbled out.

Wait. He recognized the passenger. It was the young man from earlier across the bank! 

The shorter man spoke too quickly to not just himself, but also to the young man it seemed, and climbed back to the top of the wagon. With a quick flick of of his wrists, the unicorns pulled the cart with an alarming race and ease leaving the young man behind who waved at them until they vanished.

Achaka looked back at the theater and realized that no solution has progressed and just crossed his arms in frustration though, thanks again to his helmet, no one knew that.

He heard the Royal Guard speak up, saying something about backing away when another voice surprised him.

“Hello, apologies I’m late.” The feather capped young man spoke slowly, making it easier for Achaka to somewhat understand until he spoke a bit quicker and overlapped with the other Royal Guards which frustratingly made it impossible for him to catch the young man’s name.

He heard his footsteps as he walked away and from the corner of his eye to the right saw the young man hopping on some rocks. He... supposed that was one way to get across. Except that the rocks only went so far against the rushing water. And more to that, his eyes widen as he saw the feather capped individual look his way (or at least, he assumed his way) and stuck his leg out as far as he could before leaning forward and tumbling straight into the water, drowning.

W... what was he thinking?!

“DISTRESS!” One of the Royal Guards shouted and all of them rushed over to save him, easily grabbing the back of his cape and lifting him out of the water and all of them disappearing from sight and sound, leaving the knights to focus once more.

That silence, of course, lasted a solid five seconds before suddenly he heard them screaming about bees and saw them jumping into the river.

He... was confused at best.

Just who was that young man? Achaka thought, trying to tune out the guards yelling and focused back. But that proved difficult as the young man came back, drenched from the sounds of his boots hitting the floor and was going around trying to talk to all the other knights who were, in returned, brushing him off.

Achaka glanced and saw that dejected look as the young man walked over and picked up a rope, examining it when an idea struck Achaka.

Not waiting, he yanked the rope out of the man’s hand and tied it quickly to his arrow, feeling the feather capped man staring at him. But whether it was shock or curiosity, Achaka couldn’t say as he paid no mind and fired the arrow. Once it landed with a sturdy thud, he tied it down to a root that was sticking up and began climbing across the rope to the other side. Feet touching the floor, he looked over his shoulder and finally caught a look on the man’s expression.

Impressed.

Smirking in his helmet, Achaka took off the rope and tossed it back to the other side. The man looked startled and confused as he glared back at him, waiting for an explanation. 

In truth, he didn’t know _how_ he would explain but instead pointed at the man and the rope and back towards the tree.

 _Shoot the rope to the tree._ He gestured.

To Achaka’s delight, regardless of raising a brow at him, the man proceeded to tie the rope to his own arrow, filling the knight with a small sense of relief and joy that he was understood, but it quickly vanished the moment he saw his pose. His head was turned slightly away with one eye closed and the other squinted to the point that it might as well have been closed, arrow facing downwards somewhat and his elbow holding the arrow back raised up.

 _He’s going to miss._ Achaka thought. 

He heard the arrow fire but it didn’t go far before it fell to the river. His disappointment didn’t need to be seen as he saw that the young man looked not just frustrated, but embarrassed. And he couldn’t blame him exactly, not with a pose like that. He set himself up for that disappointment. Still, Achaka kept a close eye on him as he watched the young man then try various methods to get across.

\---

" _< And, I think, The better challenge for someone like you is the beast, yes?>_” Manny asked.

“ _< Dragon?>_” Achaka corrected, " _< Yes.>_” his arms crossed as he noted the other guards and knights scattered about when the feather capped man rushed over and quietly waited while he and Manny continued to converse.

“ _< A dragon, of course, then I know the place.>_” Manny confirmed and stopped to look at the eavesdropper.

“Hello.” He spoke slowly and looked at Achaka almost nervously while the purple knight turned to give him his undivided attention just to understand him clearly. He noticed the man tense up just slightly but still smiling. “My name is Graham.”

Oh! A name! He recognized that word!

There was a momentary pause as the man-- Graham looked at him, head tilted just slightly before Achaka realized that he was waiting for a response. Truth be told, he didn’t catch the last sentence, but he imagined that if he introduced himself, then he must have been asking his name as well.

Giving Graham a salute, he smiled underneath his helmet. “Achaka.”

Graham smiled and then looked to be in thought before asking something else. But this time, he wasn’t sure what. Was... was he asking for his name? Did he not know he said his name? Oh no. That couldn’t be good. Achaka hesitated for a moment before saluting once more.

“Achaka.”

“I see.” Graham nodded knowingly, “Sounds exotic.”

No! Well, suppose maybe depending where one-- oh. Oh no. He got the question wrong. He was, yet again, happy to be underneath a helmet so that both Graham and Manny would not be able to see himself blush.

Another question was asked and once more he was confused. He side eyed Manny who just seemed to be enjoying the banter and embarrassingly, once more, saluted and said his name. Again. But it didn’t seem to detract Graham’s curiosity from him as he quickly spoke again and the knight just internally screamed in confusion.

What was he asking?! Was he not asking for his name? He wasn’t, most likely, but zards!

Graham gave a smile and a small gesture behind him before walking over to Manny, leaving Achaka feeling more lost then ever as the two began to converse quickly. It was then when Graham glanced up at Achaka, looking a little red in the cheeks before looking at Manny and speaking, but something the purple knight heard clearly was his own name in the midst of their dialog as Manny just looked at him before back at the lanky man and continued to talk. It was like this for a few minutes before Graham waved to Manny and glanced at Achaka, smiling sheepishly as he walked away. 

Manny shook his head and looked back at Achaka. “ _< So what were we talking about? Yes, Hornswaggle!>_”

“ _< Who is he?>_”

“Huh? _< Hornswaggle?>_”

“ _< I am not talking about the dragon. Him.>_” Achaka gestured with his head towards Graham. 

“ _< Who? Graham?>_”

“ _< Yes.>_”

“ _< Why?>_”

“ _< He’s... interesting.>_”


End file.
